


Dealing with the Doppelgänger

by VioletBlade



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, Minor Violence, Original Summoner Character (Fire Emblem Heroes)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29415720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletBlade/pseuds/VioletBlade
Summary: Robin was fine with the change in team assignment, though he felt awkward about having to work with his wife’s doppelgänger.“Marth” was ok with being put on a team, except for having to work with the doppelgänger of her father’s killer.
Relationships: Aqua | Azura/Lyndis, Ike/Wayu | Mia, Lucina/My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. The Tactician Magician Misses His Wife

**Author's Note:**

> In which being bored during the Superb Owl somehow causes me to write fanfiction.
> 
> Based off of headcanons of my Fire Emblem Heroes game.

"Still not there..."

Everyday, Robin woke in his room in Askr, hoping to somehow finally see his wife, Lucina, by his bedside. Everyday, he was disappointed to see that she wasn’t there beside him.

It had been almost a year now since Robin was summoned from Ylisse to Askr. One moment, he was working late, helping Chrom sort out mundane documents and troop assignments. The next, a blinding white light overtook him and he was suddenly transported next to a scared and confused girl in a white hood.

Robin would’ve been more panicked at the situation, if he hadn’t already been magically transported to another world twice before. The first time was to Elibe after killing Grima, and the second was with his wife to the Smash Brothers tournament. After the initial confusion, Robin had assessed the situation. He had been called upon by the Summoner, An, through the use of a weapon called the Breidablik, in order to assist the Order of Heroes with their war against Embla. Though thrust into a foreign land and conflict, he didn’t hesitate to help An find her bearings. As one of the first heroes summoned, he was a crucial part in growing the Order of Heroes and helped strategize Askr’s victory over Embla.

Over the course of many months though, he became more and more dejected at being away from Lucina and their daughter, Morgan. The summoning ritual took place a few times a month, and while Robin was happy with the heroes that arrived to help them, he was disappointed after each time. An could not control who was summoned and could not summon an unlimited number of times due to the lack of an orb-like resource she required. She *did* apparently have a way to acquire more orbs easily through the use of an item from her original world, but she seemed reluctant to use it and had entrusted it to Robin for safe keeping. While saddened by the absence of his family, Robin worked hard and forged strong bonds with the members of his team, some of the first heroes summoned. Marth, the legendary Hero-King, Ephraim, Renais’ prince, and Nino, a young mage from Elibe he had taken under his wing.

However, as more and more heroes joined the order and many grew in strength, the teams would inevitably be rearranged. Though apologetic about it, An had removed Robin from his team and made him the leader of a brand new one that was going to act as part of the ongoing mission with the Tempest. While he was disappointed, Robin took the assignment change in stride and agreed to the position. Today was going to be the first mission they were to be assigned, and Robin felt excited to work with everyone on his new team.

Well, almost everyone.

After getting dressed, Robin made his way to the mess hall for breakfast. Despite the bustle of dozens of heroes, he was able to spot Nino, who eagerly waved over to him and pointed to an empty seat beside her. Marth and Ephraim were also sitting there, as well as Kagero, a former substitute member of the team who was promoted with Robin’s leave.

“Robin! Over here!” Nino called out. Robin grabbed a small breakfast and sat with his old team. “Glad we were able to meet up before you went to your new team!” the young mage eagerly said.

“Thanks, Nino. I must admit, the whole change in assignments is a bit nerve-wracking.” Robin sheepishly replied. “I hope they’re fine with me as the leader.”

Ephraim tried to reassure the tactician, “You sell yourself short. You’ve been an irreplaceable part of the order since the beginning and guided us to many victories. I’m sure everyone on your team has trust in your abilities already.”

Robin gave an awkward laugh, “Well, maybe not everyone.” He then felt a hand place itself on his shoulder.

“I imagine I know who you’re talking about.” Marth stated, “Don’t worry. I’m sure with enough time you two will get over this awkwardness.”

“Sure hope you’re right.” Robin sighed.

The Hero-King grinned, “If anything, we should be worried if we can get by without you.” 

“I wouldn’t be worried about that,” Robin looked over to each of his former teammates, “Nino’s been getting better at her magic, Ephraim’s just as skilled a strategist as he is a fighter, and Marth you’re…Marth.” He then looked over to his replacement, “Kagero’s strength and speed isn’t to be underestimated either. You’ll all be fine without me.”

“You honor me with your words, Robin.” Kagero said, nodding with respect, “I shall do my best to live up to them.”

The group made smalltalk over the course of breakfast, the topics ranging from the special performance in a few days by some of the dancers in the Order, speculation on who An would summon next, and the Order of Heroes leaderboard, of which Ike, leader of the Greil Mercenaries, stood at the top due to a mix of both his field and sparring performance.

“Hmph, Ike’s at the top now, but it’ll just be a matter of time before I overtake him.” Ephraim said with confidence. 

“Those are pretty bold words, Ephraim.” Marth said with a laugh, “You sure you aren’t being too over-confident? Not even Mia’s been able to defeat him and she’s been watching his every move since they got here.”

‘Please Marth, you know me. I don’t pick-” Ephraim’s eyes caught a glance of the nearby clock, “It’s almost time. We should be heading to our mission.” He gave a small farewell wave to Robin before making his way out of the mess hall. 

The rest of the team soon followed. Kagero gave a small bow to Robin before following Ephraim out. Marth patted Robin once more on the shoulder for reassurance and Nino called out, “See you when you get back, Robin!”

Robin waved back as he started to make his way to An’s office. It was about time to meet his new teammates. Upon arriving, he was greeted with the warm smiles of An and two of the other members.

The first was Lyn, or rather one version of her. Some of the heroes had doppelgängers running about, which obviously caused some confusion. Though Robin had met a Lyn previously on his journeys, the one on his team was different. This Lyn, while still skilled with swords, more often used a bow and rode on horseback, in honor of her father. Nonetheless, she had the same headstrong and kind personality that Robin was familiar with and the two got along well enough.

The other member was Azura, once again one of multiple. She was wearing a dark purple outfit with a veil covering her mouth. In her timeline, Corrin had sided with Nohr and fought against Hoshido and her birth family. The songstress ended up joining Nohr as well and helped defeat Garon before disappearing from that world. As luck would have it though, she was teleported to Askr and was reunited with some of her companions. Robin considered her a good friend as well, though could do with less of her teasing.

The two girls gave a warm greeting to Robin as he walked by them and then returned to their conversation. He was happy to know that the two were as friendly as ever since they joined the Order.

And judging from the quick glance he had at their joined hands, as close as ever as well.

Robin went up to An’s desk and placed some papers on it. “I managed to finish those profiles you needed before we headed off.”

“You’re a life-saver”, An exclaimed, filing the papers with the other profiles of the many heroes in the Order. “There have been so many heroes joining that I haven’t had the time to do them all. I hope it wasn’t too much work.”

“It was no problem at all,” Robin reassured her, “It’s a lot more interesting that the usual stuff Chrom had me looking over. And besides, I needed it to distract me a bit. I’m still feeling a little bit anxious of needing to work with-”

He was interrupted by the door to An’s office opening again. The fourth member of the team entered the room, “Apologies for the delay, I lost track of time.”

Lyn and Azura greeted the newcomer just as warmly as they did Robin and An gave them an excited smile. Robin however, could only manage a nervous nod. There she was, familiar short blue hair, familiar sword, and familiar mask.

“I’m Marth,” spoke the masked warrior as they gazed around the room, “I’m looking forward to working with-”, “Marth” stopped for a moment to stare at Robin, “...you all.”

Robin was staring at the spitting image of his wife, Lucina. And he knew that “Marth” was staring at the spitting image of the man that killed her father.


	2. The Enigmatic Blade Wants to Keep Her Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An and Robin discuss "Marth's" past while "Marth" keeps getting bothered by people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of the Future Past DLC for Awakening.

Robin’s mind went back to the conversation he had with An a few days ago, when she had first informed him of his new team assignment. “So An...”

“Yes?”

“You’re the Summoner, and I’m not going to go against this team assignment. But I do need to ask, why?” He scratched the back of his neck, trying to make sense of An’s choice to put him and “Marth” on the same team, “I don’t know, it just seems like a bad decision.”

An exuded an air of confidence, “Please Robin, am I the kind of girl that makes bad decisions?”

“Well considering you’re having me hold on to this thing called a ‘credit card’ for what you call ‘your own financial well-being’, I have to assume that you do from time to time.”

The air of confidence disappeared, “Ok, I concede your point there. Well, you’re both really strong. I didn’t make these team assignments randomly y’know?” An pulled out profiles of each hero. “You’re a great tactician, ‘Marth’ is an expert swordswoman, Lyn’s probably the best shot we have on horseback, and Azura’s an incredible dancer. That’s a pretty good lineup if I do say so myself.”

“We definitely have the abilities, I’m not arguing that...” Robin noted, “...but there’s gonna be a problem with our chemistry.”

“Well we both know we’ll be fine with Azura and Lyn in that regard.” An said with a laugh, “You get along well enough with them as well and I’m sure they’ll be able to win over Marth no problem-”

“Come on, you know the issue I’m talking about.” interrupted Robin, “I’m the guy that killed her parents, all of her friends' parents, and a good amount of her world’s population! You spent all this time trying to convince her to join up with us rather than her just showing up once a month to deal with the Tempest, so why risk pushing her away by putting her on a team with me?”

“You look like him, but you’re not him.” said An rather sternly. Her face soon turned a bit melancholy as she recalled Marth’s backstory, through what Robin and other heroes from the World of Awakening had told her, as well as small snippets that “Marth” would recount.

In “Marth’s” timeline, the young princess, Lucina, and her companions had forgone the plan to go back in time, deeming it to be too risky with the threat of a number of things going wrong, from Grima possibly following them back through time or them being separated in different periods. Instead, Lucina had her friends set off on a mission to acquire the gemstones of the Fire Emblem deep within enemy territory. It was a long shot, and the only way they succeeded was the miraculous arrival of alternate versions of their parents, traveling through worlds to assist their children.

During the final battle, Lucina knew that the man who came to fight by her side was not exactly her father, but it gave her the strength to defeat Grima nonetheless. Afterwards, peace finally came to Ylisse. Lucina became Exalt, with Severa and Cynthia by her side as her knights. The rest of the children rebuilt the Shepherds and kept peace through the land.

And then the Tempest came.

“Marth” wouldn’t give any exact details, but at some point, the Tempest appeared in her world and brought mass destruction. Only she had managed to escape and was transported to Askr, where she would combat the Tempest by any means necessary. The tolls of dealing with both Grima and the Tempest had gotten to her, and she remained sullen and distant from most of the other members of the Order, especially since they housed someone who looked so much like Grima.

“I want her to be comfortable here.” An said softly, “I want her to be friends with me, Alfonse, Sharena, everyone. But she’s still keeping her distance.” She turned to Robin, “and it’s because of you.”

“Because of me?”

An nodded, “Everyone trusts you, you know that right? Everyone looks up to you for your tactics, your magic, or just that fact you're a good friend. And it’s that trust that everyone has in you that prevents ‘Marth’ from trusting them. I believe she’s thinking, ‘How could anyone trust Grima?’ I think if you can get her to see that you’re not Grima, that you’re just Robin, tactician of Ylisse, then I think her guard around you and the others will drop.”

There was a brief silence as Robin pondered what An just told him. “Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll do my best, but I make no guarantees. It is going to be awkward though. I am married to her in my world.”

“I know, and while she’s not a substitute for your Lucina, I hope that by talking to her, that you can find some small peace as well.” An replied.

“I...hope so too,” Robin was missing Lucina incredibly by this point, and unlike his time in Elibe, there didn’t seem to be a clear end to this journey in Askr.

After reminiscing, Robin’s mind returned to the present, as he and the others received their assignment from An. The mission was simple. They were to head to the area the first Tempest showed itself and examine if there were any remaining residue of the chaotic energy it brought. Marth, being the one who discovered the Tempest initially, was to be their guide.

“It’ll take a while to analyze the residue of the Tempest, so you’ll have to camp out in the area overnight. That area is well within our territory though, so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about any attacks from Embla. Think of it as a team bonding camping trip!” An said with a smile.

“That sounds good to me!” Lyn exclaimed. “The castle is nice, but I miss the plains. It’ll be fun to camp out and gaze at the stars just like back then.”

Azura giggled, “Sounds romantic.”

“That’s all the information I got.” finished An, “Robin, you’re the squad captain so you decide when to head out.”

Robin nodded, “You got it, An.”

The four heroes left Anne’s office and briefly discussed their plan. “When are we leaving?” Marth asked Robin rather bluntly.

“Umm…how about in an hour?” Robin offered, “Should be enough time to gather any necessary supplies.”

“Very well, I’ll gather my equipment and meet you at the castle gates in an hour then.” Marth immediately then headed back to her room, paying no mind to anything else Robin had to say.

“Wait but can you also get…” Robin started, before giving up on getting Marth to come back and listen. “Oh well.”

Lyn chuckled, “You’ve got your work cut out for you, huh Robin?”

“You can say that again.” Robin turned to his two other teammates. “Lyn, can you grab the tents? And Azura, do you mind picking up some cooking supplies?”

Azura nodded, “Leave it to us Robin. And don’t worry, we’ll assist you with Marth.”

Robin eyed her with suspicion, “I’d appreciate the help, but why do I feel you have something nefarious planned?”

"I don't know what you're talking about." Azura replied with a sly smile.

Marth headed back to her room and started to pack her supplies. “What are the odds that I have to work with him.” she muttered to herself. She then got lost in thought about the circumstances of her arrival to Askr.

Quicker than Grima, the Tempest brought devastation and ruin to a land that had barely recovered. The Shepherds had no countermeasure to the chaos caused by the Tempest and could barely mount a defense. During these dire times, Lucina had taken on the identity of “Marth” to give her people some semblance of hope.

But before all was lost, time stopped, except for Lucina. She saw all of her friends frozen in a single moment. And then she heard a voice, “This is what fate has decided for not only this world, but for all worlds across all timelines. The Tempest will devastate every land and bring ruin to everything. But it is possible to stop it. Time has been frozen like this for all worlds except for one. Soon, heroes will be called to a land named Askr by the Summoner, and the Tempest will follow them until they or it is completely destroyed.”

The voice then grew comforting, “If so desired, I can give you the ability to sense when and where the Tempest arrives. Find the Summoner. gather allies, and you can stop the Tempest before it ravages everything.”

Lucina considered the voice’s words and there was little hesitation. “I accept.”

The next thing she knew, she was in Askr. She laid low for the first few weeks, sticking with her “Marth” identity and gathering information. Soon, the first Tempest showed itself. Marth managed to locate the Summoner, An, and requested her help. Together, they defeated the Tempest before Marth left without a trace. She continued this pattern for several months before finally being convinced to join the Order of Heroes by An. While she preferred to work alone outside of dealing with the Tempest, Marth recognized that she would have better access to heroes and resources by staying with the Order. The only problem was that Grima’s vessel freely walked the Order’s halls.

“I know that he helped defeat Grima in his world…” Marth muttered, “but I can’t stop seeing him as the Fell Dragon…” Everytime Marth pictured Robin’s face, she saw the face of the man who gleefully boasted that he had killed her parents as well as Tiki. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. “Who is it?” she asked in a bit of a harsh tone.

“Hey Lucina, just me.” the visitor replied. Marth turned around and was greeted with the sight of the doppelgänger of her brother, Inigo. Except that this Inigo was dressed in a rather interesting set of dancer clothing.

“I’m not Lucina.” Marth continued with her rather blunt attitude.

“Right, ‘Marth’. Anyway, just wanted to see my sister off before she heads to her first mission.” Inigo replied in a reassuring voice.

“I’m not your sister. Now if that’s all, I should get going.”

Inigo sighed, “Ok, but can I talk to you about Robin really quick?”

Marth stopped packing for a moment. “What about Robin?”

“I know that he looks like the monster that destroyed our world. When I first found out he was Grima’s vessel...there was a part of me that briefly considered killing him. To avenge our parents, to ensure that the past we ended up in didn’t end up like our present.”

A brief silence. “Why didn’t you?” Marth asked.

“Well, I didn’t have the courage to confront him before Lucina did. I don’t know the details of what happened, but afterwards, she told me that she trusted Robin with all her heart. And because of that, I decided to believe in Robin as well and in the end he helped us beat Grima. So I’m asking you to trust him. And if you don’t, then trust me, because I trust him. And if you don’t trust me, trust Lucina, because I trust her, and you know...you are her.”

“...Is that all?”

“It sounded better in my head, trust me.” Inigo said sheepishly. “You really should trust Lucina, you know. Hell, she even mar-” The dancer stopped himself, remembering that no one actually bothered to mention to Marth that Robin and Lucina had married. There was a fear that finding out her alternate self married the Fell Dragon’s vessel would give Marth a heart attack.

“She what?”

“Nothing. Anyway, I’ve got dance practice for my show this weekend. Good luck sis!”

“I’m not your-” Marth started before Inigo ran off. She sighed before finishing packing, “My other self trusts him huh?” she muttered to herself before heading off towards the front gate. Marth was set to get there early before she was interrupted by a rather energetic swordswoman.

“Marth!”

The masked warrior was startled for a moment before turning to the source of the voice. Mia, a mercenary she had recruited for one of the Tempests, was running up to her. While Marth attempted to keep her distance from the rest of the order, Mia was extremely persistent, and Marth could never turn her away after she convinced some of the other heroes to help her without any payment.

“Hello, Mia.” Marth greeted calmly.

“I heard you got put on a team! That’s great!” Mia cheerfully exclaimed. Her high energy was a stark contrast to Marth’s quiet attitude.

“I did. Were you placed on one as well?”

Mia shook her head, “Not yet. An still has me as a freelancer. But it works for me! I like working with a whole bunch of different people. I’m a bit jealous of you though, you’ve got a really good set of teammates.”

“Do I?”

“Yeah! Lyn and Azura are really friendly and fun to talk to. And Robin’s helped me out a lot!”

Marth winced a bit, “Did he now?”

Mia nodded enthusiastically, “You bet. Other than in the field, he’s been helping me come up ways to improve my performance against Ike. I was winless against him before Robin started giving me advice.”

“What’s your record now?”

“Still winless!” Mia said without any damper to her voice. “But I’m getting closer! With his help, I’ll be able to beat him in no time! I’m already doing better in my spars with Lyn and Marth!” There was an awkward pause. “You know, the one without a mask.”

“Yeah I got that.” Marth turned to leave, “I should get going.”

Mia grabbed her arm, “Wait sorry, one more thing.” Marth turned around to listen to what else Mia had to say. “A piece of advice Robin gave me was to throw Ike off with a stance he hadn’t seen before. So I was thinking...maybe you can teach me some of your cool moves?”

Marth took a second to process the request, “...You think my moves are cool?”

“Yeah!” Mia eagerly replied, “Especially that stance where you bring in your fist and hold your sword forward, it seems really strong" She a bit sloppy recreated one of Marth’s fighting stances to demonstrate.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Marth taught her fighting style, as in her world, she had been Inigo’s primary tutor in swordplay. Though, she wasn’t sure she could effectively teach the more advanced techniques, nor was she certain it would actually help Mia in her quest to beat Ike. “Let me think about it. I have to go, my team is waiting for me.”

“Sure, have fun on your mission!” Mia called out, “Let's have lunch when you get back, okay?” Marth gave a non-committal wave as she made her way to the gate. “Sure hope you can get through to Marth, Robin.” Mia muttered to herself before returning to the training ground.

Marth arrived at the gates and saw her teammates waiting, “Apologies for the delay. Someone had ambushed me in the hall.”

Lyn laughed a bit, “Mia?”

“Mia.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Robin replied. “Well, we’re all here, let’s head out.”


	3. The Songstress and the Archer Try to Get Them to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azura and Lyn try to help improve team chemistry on the camping trip.
> 
> Also there's a bear.

The party set off on their mission. They placed their camping supplies on Lyn’s horse and walked beside it, making small talk along the way. “You’ve got a performance this weekend, right Azura?” Robin asked.

“Yes. It’s me, the other Azura, and Las-I mean, Inigo that’s doing the show.” Azura looked over to Marth, “You should come Marth, Inigo’s been improving a lot and I’m sure he’d want to show off to you.”

“Hmm.” Marth said, disinterested in the conversation and focused on leading the group. Her mind wandered to the future conflicts on the Tempest, where they might possibly appear and what forces they might send out. After a bit, she looked back at her companions. Azura, Lyn, and Robin were still deep into their conversation and the horse seemed to be doing fine. However, there was something peculiar about the camping equipment the horse was carrying. “Did we only bring two tents?” Marth asked.

Robin seemed surprised, but Azura and Lyn weren’t fazed. “Yeah,” Azura answered, “Two double tents. Girls in one tent and guys in the other of course.” Azura had a smirk on her face, matched by Lyn and contrasted with a look of horror on Robin’s. “I assume that isn’t a problem?”

Marth quickly turned around to hide her own nervousness. “Right of course, both guys in the other tent. No...problem. The guys…which I definitely am.” She played up a masculine voice and hoped it still held up, even with her nervousness.

It didn’t. Despite Marth’s attempts, she never actually convinced anyone that she was a guy, much less a version of the legendary hero Marth. Everyone in the order, based off of the information that Robin and Inigo had provided, had known by this point that “Marth” was actually Lucina. Except for maybe Mia, though no one could tell if she actually believed “Marth” was a guy or if she was just playing along to be nice.

“It’s cute that she still thinks that disguise would help her.” Azura giggled.

“I don’t think you of all people should be talking about disguises.” Lyn countered.

“I really wish you guys packed another tent.” Robin quickly whispered.

Azura waved off his concerns, “It’ll be fine. I’m sure you guys will get over the awkwardness by the end of the night.”

“I think you two have a little too much faith in me.”

After some hours of travel, they ended up at their camp site. After setting up camp, they decided to split into two teams. One would set up the equipment to measure the Tempest levels while the other would hunt for food.

“Didn’t we pack rations?” Robin asked.

“We did,” Lyn replied. “But there’s a certain charm in hunting for your food while on a camping trip.” She got saddled on her horse, “Azura, wanna come with?”

Azura smiled, “Of course-”

“Allow me to go.” Marth interrupted, sounding a bit reluctant to hang out with Robin. “I’m fairly confident in my hunting abilities.”

Lyn was annoyed at this snag, seeing as it was part of her and Azura’s plan to get Robin and Marth some alone time together. “Your call, Robin.”

Robin looked back and forth between Azura and Marth and briefly considered the choice. “Marth, go with Lyn.”

The archer sighed, “Fine. Come hop on, Marth.” Marth got on the horse behind Lyn and the two set off.

“You know we were trying to help you, Robin.” Azura said with the same annoyance Lyn had.

“I know and I appreciate it. That said, Marth would be better at hunting, considering she lived by herself before she joined up with us. Also, I’d like to trust you Azura, but sending you and Lyn by yourselves...no supervision from us…”

A brief silence, “I’ll concede your point.”

Marth and Lyn travelled for a bit before finding a small set of tracks. The exalt quickly got off the horse and examined them. “Rabbit, it went this way.” She started heading toward the direction the tracks were leading. The terrain was a bit rocky, difficult for a horse to traverse.

“Hey, wait for me!” Lyn tried to call out as she attempted to find a place to park her horse.

Marth ignored her plea, “It’ll get too far if we wait too long. Stay there, I’ll be right back with it!” She headed deeper into the forest before finally finding the rabbit. It was fairly large and could provide a decent amount of meat. “There you are.” she muttered to herself. She pulled out a small dagger and got ready to throw it. While she wasn’t as confident in her dagger throwing skills as someone like say Kagero, she practiced enough hunting with it to be able to hit the rabbit. Which she would have, if a second rabbit didn’t suddenly pop up.

The other rabbit got close to Marth’s prey, “Her mate?” Marth thought. Normally this just meant that there was another rabbit to get meat from. In her world, Marth wouldn’t have hesitated taking them both out for food. But maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t as desperate for food, or maybe she softened up since becoming a part of the Order of Heroes, but she couldn’t bring herself to take out either.

Soon, the rabbits seemed to take notice of her and ran off. Marth sighed, “They got away. Guess I should get back to Lyn.” She got up and turned around only to see what the rabbits were really running from.

It was a bear. A fairly aggressive one at that.

The bear roared and took a swipe at Marth but she managed to quickly dodge. “This is bad.” she thought to herself. “I can probably make a break for it and run, but that would risk the bear making it to Lyn and the horse.” She decided to ready herself for combat, pulling out her sword. “I’ve faced the Fell Dragon, I can handle a bear.” The bear ran towards her and took another swipe. Lucina skillfully dodged it once more and aimed for the bear. “Too easy.” she called out and lunged her sword.

The bear somehow managed to parry her strike.

“Since when can bears parry!?” Marth thought incredulously to herself. That brief moment of surprise made her a second too late properly dodge the bear’s next strike. Though she blocked the bear’s claw and managed to not get hit, the force of the attack caused her to stumble over a rock and lose her grip on her sword, sending it some feet away while she scrambled to get away from the bear.

Marth weighed her options. She did have her daggers, but they did not have the range nor the strength to slay the bear. Getting back to her sword would be too risky, as it was between her and the bear, so her best chance was to run and try to regroup with Lyn, which she really wished she had done to begin with. This would mean having to leave behind her sword temporarily, something that made her angry at herself.

Before she could put her plan into motion though, an arrow struck at the bear’s back, causing it to recoil. Marth looked behind the bear and saw Lyn, readying her bow for another shot. “Go Marth!” the archer called out.

Without missing a beat, Marth ran to her sword while Lyn fired off another arrow, distracting the bear for just a bit longer. It turned around to snarl at Lyn and before it could refocus it’s attention on Marth, the exalt struck it down quickly.

Marth took a sigh of relief as she quickly cleaned her sword of the bear’s blood and sheathed it. “Thank you Lyn, I would’ve had to-”

She was interrupted by Lyn rushing over and giving her a crushing hug. “Don’t go off on your own. We’re teammates right?”

“R-Right,” Marth awkwardly replied.

Lyn released her grip and turned to their new kill. “Guess we’re having bear tonight.”

Meanwhile, Robin and Azura had finished setting up the equipment. Robin quickly took a look at the instructions given to him. “So now I do this spell…” He quickly read off some magical words written down. The flask on the table glowed briefly and the pair could see a small pocket of wind absorbing something unseen into the flask.”

“It’ll take until morning for this to be finished”, Robin stated, “so all we have to do is wait until then.”

“Sounds fine to me.” Azura exclaimed. “Just enough time to get you and Marth’s rapport up!”

“You really think I can get her to trust me?” Robin asked, a familiar tone of uncertainty in his voice.

“It’ll take work.” the songstress thought for a moment, “Have you thought of being open with her?”

“Open about?”

“You know, everything between you and Lucina back in your world.” Azura looked at the tacitican with a soft smile, “I think if you’re open about that with her, then I think she’ll be a bit more comfortable around you.”

“...You really think she’ll be more comfortable if I tell her that in a different timeline than her own, her and the vessel of the dragon that ruined her life are married and have a kid that also came from the future?”

“Hey if you got any better ideas, I’m willing to hear them.” Azura countered. “Show her the you that's completely opposite of what Grima is. That sensitive side of you.”

Robin sighed, “I’ll think about it.”

Not too far away, Lyn and Marth slowly approached the camp, dragging their quarry with them. “Hey Marth, sorry if I’m being pushy....but can you try getting along with Robin a bit? Maybe have a one on one conversation with him? He is the team leader after all, and it’d be bad if you two are gonna be awkward for however long we’re working together.”

Marth averted her gaze, “I-I know...but every time I see his face…”

“You see Grima.” Lyn stated, ”I get it, it must be difficult.” She placed a hand reassuringly on Marth’s shoulder, “But just know that Robin fought extremely hard to defeat Grima in his world as well. And even if he was once a vessel for Grima, he’s really just this awkward guy. He gets sad whenever one of his tactics doesn’t go as planned and happy when you bring him a new book or one of his favorite foods.” The camp slowly came into view, “Watch this.” Lyn quickly called out once they saw Robin and Azura. “Hey guys, we got bear!”

“Bear!?” Robin exclaimed. “I haven’t had bear in ages!” Marth gazed at the look on Robin’s face. The face she saw so many times as having the look of a twisted monster, was now excited over being able to eat bear meat. It was a bit jarring in her mind.

Dinner came and went peacefully. The bear was delicious, as Robin kept repeating. Afterwards, the group made more small talk while monitoring the equipment set up earlier. Lyn talked about her experiences meeting with the alternate versions of herself and how it was both awkward and extremely fascinating to discuss the differences in their life up to that point. Azura brought up her upcoming performance and spoke of how the dancers, including Inigo, were working hard, which brought a small smile to Marth’s face. The smile went away when Azura followed up saying that Inigo’s efforts were partially to impress girls. Finally, Robin spoke eagerly about the other heroes in the Order. When the topic of his old team was brought up, Marth saw a look of admiration on Robin’s face as he praised Marth, Ephraim, Nino, and Kagero each in length. It was a far cry from the look of arrogance she was used to seeing on Grima’s face.

Soon, the conversation died down, and the four were content to sit quietly around the campfire. Robin began reading a tactics book he brought with him, becoming lost in it. Azura and Lyn were gazing at the stars, whispering softly to each other. Finally, Marth was deep in thought. Lyn had asked her to talk with Robin alone, and the best place to do that would be...in the tent they both shared. She knew that this awkwardness between them would best be solved soon, and gathered all of her courage to finally have a proper conversation with Robin.

It didn’t work.

“I can’t do this right now. I’ll just have to get Azura or Lyn to swap with me.” Marth thought of ways to switch spots, “I’ll probably have to reveal to them that I’m actually a girl, but it is a necessary sacrifice I have to make.” She quickly looked back and forth between the two of them, “Which one should I ask to bunk with Robin? He seems friendly with both of them and he’s apparently travelled with another version of Lyn before so maybe-”

Her train of thought derailed when she saw Lyn gaze into Azura’s eyes, cup her face, and bring her into a tender kiss.

It took Marth a moment to process what she was seeing. “They’re...together!?” she frantically thought to herself. She quickly glanced over to Robin, who didn’t seem to be surprised at the fact their two teammates were kissing. “How did I not notice before!? I worked with both of them before during Tempests, yet I never caught on to the fact that they were apparently lovers!?”

Lyn broke the kiss and whispered something into Azura’s ear.

The songstress giggled and nodded. She took Lyn’s hand and stood up, bringing her girlfriend with her. “We’ll be heading to bed now.”

“Good night.” Robin said, without looking up from his book.

“G-Good night,” Marth stuttered. Lyn quickly mouthed “talk to him” at Marth before joining Azura in their tent. Once the two were out of view, Marth quickly whispered “They’re dating!?”

Robin seemed a bit confused at Marth’s surprise, “Yeah? You never noticed? They were holding hands this whole trip, feeding each other, whispering sweet nothings while staring at the stars…”

“I-I didn’t notice.” Marth said, rather embarrassed at this point. “I guess I haven’t been paying too much attention to the other members of the Order. When did they start?”

“It was a month or two back.” Robin recalled, “I don’t remember exactly how it started. I just heard one day Lyn was asking Azura for dance practice, and the next day they’re holding hands, trying to sneak kisses, you know. They’re cute together though, right?”

“R-Right.” 

There was an awkward silence before Robin closed his book. “So uhh...if you want, I can stay out here for the night. Wouldn’t be hard to make a quick makeshift hammock out of some spare blankets.”

“N-No,” Marth replied, “It’ll get chilly. Wouldn’t want our leader to get a cold. I’ll use the hammock.”

Robin waved her off, “I’d be a bad squad leader if I made you stay outside while I’m comfy in a tent.” He looked over to the girls’ tent, “Well...you could probably try to squeeze in with Lyn and Azura but...they’re probably...you know…”

“Yeah…” Marth replied sheepishly. “We’ll just both stay in the tent. It’ll be fine. I...trust you”

“Do you?” Robin asked.

Another silence, “Umm…”

“You don’t need to answer, I get it.” Robin took a deep breath. “Though, do you mind if I tell you a story about something...or someone rather.”

“Who?”

“...Well, her name’s Lucina....”


	4. The Vessel and the Exalt Have a Heart-to-Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and "Marth" finally have...the talk...

“Azura...should we really be listening in on this conversation?”

“Why not? Aren’t you just as curious as I am?”

Robin and Marth sat quietly around the campfire. “Lucina? You mean Exalt Chrom’s daughter in your time?” Marth asked rather unconvincingly.

“Right,” Robin said, deciding to humor Marth for the time being. “She’s like you, y’know....like a lot.”

“...I’ve heard.” Marth said sheepishly. “Might I ask why you wish to tell me about her?”

“I...just want to tell you some stories. Thought you might wanna know about her.”

“...Very well.”

Robin gazed up at the stars, “Let’s see...let’s start from when Chrom and I met her for the first time. She had a mask...a lot like yours. And a Falchion...a lot like yours. And she called herself Marth...like you.”

Marth started getting incredibly embarrassed, “W-What a coincidence.”

“She showed up right when Risen started attacking our camp. She saved her Aunt Lissa and then ran off. She showed up a bunch of times after that, like when we were trying to acquire the aid of Regna Ferox and when Exalt Emmeryn was under attack, that’s when we found out she was a woman by the way. Her mask got destroyed while stopping an assassination attempt on Chrom.” Robin got a look of nostalgia on his face, “I thought she looked beautiful.” He quickly realized what he said and looked at Marth, who was incredibly red in the face.

“A-Anyway”, he coughed, “We talked in passing then, but the first time the two of us had a one-on-one conversation was near the start of the war against Walhart. I was still coming to terms with the fact that she was Chrom’s daughter and somehow a time-traveler when she approached me. She opened up to me about how dire her future was. All of the nightmares and horrors that came with it. She then had me promise to help Chrom change it. Which you know, I was already doing, but it felt nice having her open up to me like that. Having this person who, for the two years I’ve known her, kept everything close to the chest just put their trust in me. I felt...happy that she was relying on me.”

Robin continued on, “We had a few more conversations like that. And I made it clear that I would not only be there for Chrom, but for her as well. She was carrying this whole burden by herself emotionally. I could tell it was taking its toll on her. She was missing meals, losing sleep, she was going to crash and burn eventually. I got worried and told her how much it would cripple the army if something happened to her and asked her to take care of herself...and she said she would try...for me.” A smile crept on Robin’s face.

“Afterwards, our conversations became more than just talking about her future. First, she started coming to me about our strategies and combat pair-ups. Then we just started talking about small stuff, like what Chrom and Olivia were like before they were married or some silly outfit that she wanted my opinion on. She started becoming happier and I was treasuring the time we spent together, just the two of us. It wasn’t too long before I realized why.”

The tactician took a deep breath, ready to drop the bombshell. “After we defeated Walhart, we had one more conversation...and I uhhh…” Robin thought for a moment, and then took off a gold ring on his finger. “Here...take a look at this.”

Marth took the ring and examined it, “It looks beautiful…” she mused. The edges of the ring were adorned with small butterflies and flowers.

“I think it’s a bit over-designed and would’ve preferred something simpler, but my wife loved it so we had these as our wedding rings.”

“You’re wife?” Marth asked, “I didn’t know you had a…” She took a look at the inscription on the ring.

_Robin and Lucina_

“You married m-, I-I mean Lucina!?”

Robin grinned sheepishly, “Yeah...proposed with flowers and everything.”

Marth took another look at the ring and handed it back to Robin, “I-I didn’t know. No one told me.” she said, still in massive shock. “Me and Grima’s Vessel!? Married!?” she thought.

“We figured that you might freak out at the news so I asked everyone to keep it on the down low.”

Marth coughed to regain her composure, “I-I don’t see how you’d think that would affect me but very well.” She took another look at Robin. Marth was so used to seeing a twisted face on the Fell Dragon that the current one of a man in love almost didn’t register to her. “Can I ask why you fell in love with Lucina?”

“Well, I’ll just tell you what I told her.” Robin started counting on his fingers, “I told her I loved that way she was kind to her friends, how she’d always put their well-being in front of her own and acted as their rock. I loved her strength, of how she dealt with impossible odds and still decided to challenge fate. I loved her beauty, how brightly she smiled when she saw some silly matching outfits to get with Olivia. I loved her eagerness, she was always wanting to learn from Chrom about swordplay, me about tactics, or Olivia about dancing, even if she wasn’t very good. I loved-”

“O-Okay! That’s enough I get it.” Marth’s face was about as red as Cordelia’s hair.

Robin laughed, “Sorry, I’ll try to tone it down.” He gazed at the stars once more, “I didn’t know why she loved me back. I was just a guy who kinda knew tactics. But I was overjoyed that she did. I told her I’d give my life for her if I had to.” His face turned to one of melancholy, “And I almost did.”

“Pardon?”

“I had a moment of weakness once. I succumbed to Grima’s influence and handed over the Fire Emblem to Validar. I wasn’t in control but it was clear that I would become Grima in the future. I was going to be the one to kill Chrom and ruin Lucina’s life. And Lucina knew it too. That night, she confronted me, and pointed her sword at me. She asked me...if I was willing to die by her hand, so that the dark future could be avoided.”

A tense silence followed. Though Robin couldn’t see it behind the mask, Marth’s eyes were wide. “And you refused?” Marth asked.

“I wanted to. Gods, I wanted to.” Robin said with a hint of sadness. “I wanted to live my life out with Lucina, have kids, be at peace. But there was one thing I wanted more than that….for her to have a bright future.” A sad smile popped up on his face, “I accepted her judgement. I was ready to die. A part of me wanted to after the incident earlier. But Lucina stopped herself. She told me she loved me too much to go through with it and that she would trust me to find a way without her needing to kill me. I was relieved, and determined because I knew that she was making a sacrifice for me and I wasn’t going to let her down.”

“And you didn’t. You defeated Grima.”

“There were some snags along the way.” Robin sheepishly replied.

“Some snags?”

“I actually was dead for about two years.”

“You were what!?’

Marth wasn’t the only one intently listening, “He was what!?”

“See Lyn, you’re invested now too.’

Robin continued to explain, “You know how the only way to permanently kill Grima is by his own hand? Well, if Chrom killed Grima with the Falchion, then he just sleeps for a few centuries and then resurrects. I didn’t want what happened to Lucina’s time to happen to any other. But since our life forces were linked, when I killed Grima, I died too. But I promised Lucina that I’d be back one day, and I kept my promise.”

“How’d you do it?” Marth asked.

“Oh that’s a whole ‘nother story. Got transported to Elibe and had to help Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector first.”

Inside the tent, Lyn’s eyes grew wide, “So in the other Lyn’s timeline, the tactician she picked up was Robin?”

“This is too good,” Azura whispered, quietly eating snacks that she had brought with her on the trip.

“Listen,” Robin stated, “I know you’re not my Lucina. But from what I’ve seen here, and from your time, you’re still that strong, kind, and determined leader. I went to hell and back for Lucina, and for whatever it’s worth, I’d do the same for you.”

Marth stared at the tactician for a moment, then gave a soft smile, “I won’t ask you to do something that extreme. Wouldn’t want to worry my other self.” A sudden realization about what something Robin said hit her, “Wait, you mentioned something about my time?”

“Oh, yeah. Remember that time when Chrom and Olivia suddenly appeared beside you during your battle with Grima?”

A brief pause, “That was you!?”

Robin scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, “Yeah, that was us. Naga asked for some help through the Outrealms. Of course, me, Lucina, Inigo, and the other future children stayed back so as to not cause any doppelgänger confusion among you guys. But Lucina and I could see how hard you fought to save your world from Grima. She said you looked pretty cool doing it too.”

Marth once again looked away rather embarrassingly, “W-Well, thank you. Your assistance was much needed.” Her mind thought back to the final moments of Grima. “Before I sealed Grima away...I could see the face of the vessel. It was yours...and it looked extremely sad, but also relieved in a sense. From what I learned, it seems the you from my timeline had weakened Grima from the inside so that I could slay him. I’ve tried to keep telling myself that Grima was nothing more than a monster with no humanity left, but that last look on your face stayed in my mind.”

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for trying to avoid you. I almost didn’t want to believe that Grima’s vessel could be so….human for lack of a better term.”

Robin waved her off, “Don’t worry. If anything, I should apologize for holding off this conversation until now.”

Marth smiled, “It...will still take me some time to...get over your appearance. But I will try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

The two leaned back in their seats, feeling a weight lifted off of their shoulders. “And thank you for telling me about Lucina. It sounds like you two love each other immensely.” Marth said.

“Yeah, once we’re done here in Askr, I’m looking forward to a nice, peaceful life with her and Morgan.”

“....Wait, who’s Morgan?”

An awkward silence, “Uhh...about that...”

The two inside the tent were still listening intently, “Oh, this is going to be great.” eagerly whispered the songstress.

“Azura, we should really sleep soon.”

Marth’s voice suddenly cried out, “Morgan’s your what!?”

The conversation continued on and the two had stayed up for quite a while, especially as Marth grilled Robin on every detail about Morgan, his and Lucina’s apparently time-traveling daughter. In return, Marth offered some stories of her time during Ylisse’s rebuild, before the Tempest brought more ruin. Eventually, Marth dozed off, forcing Robin to carry her back to their tent.

Marth woke up in the morning and recalled the events of the previous night. “My alternate self picked a gentleman at the very least.” she said quietly to herself. She then went outside and was greeted by Robin, Azura, and Lyn eating breakfast.

Robin was intently looking at the flask they had placed the night before while Azura and Lyn were fighting off yawns. Azura at least noticed that Marth had awakened and waved to her. “Morning Marth. We’ve made you breakfast.”

Marth made her way to the table, “I appreciate it, thank you.” She grabbed a plate and started eating. “Did the experiment yield any results?”

“It did and there’s only the faintest residue of the Tempest left in the area. It won’t be showing up back here any time soon.” confirmed Robin.

Marth breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good to hear.” The four ate their breakfast in peace, making small talk about what they would do when they returned to the castle. “Umm, Azura?”

“Yes?”

“That...performance you and Inigo are a part of….when is it?”

Azura’s face grew bright, “Oh it’s this weekend! Don’t worry, I’ll see to it that you have a front row seat. Your brother has an amazing performance lined up.”

“He’s not…” Marth sighed, “Nevermind. I’ll do my best to attend, provided I have no other duties.”

Azura eagerly started telling Marth about the things planned for the show while Lyn leaned over to Robin, “Looks like that talk of yours worked out, huh? It must have been all those compliments about your Lucina that did the trick.”

Robin gave a nervous laugh, “Yeah, maybe.” A brief realization hit the tactician. “Lyn...how do you know about that part?”

Azura and Lyn froze in their seats while Marth looked confused. “It was uhhh...a lucky guess?” Lyn tried to explain.

The tactician continued, “And why are you both so tired? You two went to bed long before we did.”

Another period of silence. Azura nervously gulped, ‘We were...making love?”

Robin stared at them with unamused eyes, “You were listening, weren’t you.”

“The whole time,” Lyn confirmed, “It was very sweet to tell you the truth.”

Marth nearly dropped her plate, “You overheard us!?”

Azura tried to reassure the embarrassed Exalt, “We promise, we won’t tell a soul about what guys talked about. Certainly not about Robin’s list of why he loves Lucina or any of the stories about Morgan meeting Chrom for the first time or-”

“I swear, I’m having An put both of you on Lost Lore duty.” Robin muttered. “ _Separately_.” he added for emphasis.

The rest of the trip was peaceful, if not spirited with all of the teasing from Azura and Lyn. The four returned to the castle later that day and gave their report to An. “It sounds like you guys did well together.” An noted, “You feel the team bonding yet?”

“Well,” Robin began sounding rather annoyed, “I learned that some of us have a tendency to eavesdrop.” As he said that, Azura tried to whistle nonchalantly while Lyn nervously twiddled her fingers. “But I think that as a whole, we’ve gotten more trusting as a team.”

An nodded and then turned to the blue-haired warrior, “How about you Marth? Do you think the trip helped?”

Marth gave a soft smile, “Yes. I think we’ll be alright from now on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to end the story here, but I had another scenario I wanted to write so there'll be one more chapter.


	5. The Future Witness Talks to Herself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Order of Heroes gets a new member, and "Marth's" not sure how to feel about her.

In the next few weeks, Marth slowly became less distant from the rest of the order. She started to be more open to her teammates, joining in the small talk on the way to their objective, being more communicative in combat, and teasing the others from time to time. Her trust in Robin started to grow and eventually she began to truly see past the face of the Grima, seeing that same awkward tactician everyone else saw. She started staying back with Robin at the camp to ask him more about Lucina, and with each talk, found herself growing closer to him. She enjoyed listening to his stories, like she was experiencing the other Lucina’s life through them. She also felt happy knowing that her talks with Robin helped ease his pain of being away from Lucina a little bit.

Of course, her staying back with Robin meant that Lyn and Azura were the ones hunting by themselves. While they never failed to come back with food, they often returned with slightly disheveled hair and ruffled clothes.

She also began to get closer to those outside her team as well. After watching Inigo’s performance in the show, she would spend her free time watching his open practices, much to his delight. She also started teaching Mia her techniques and stances and sparred with her often, the two of them having spirited duels. Mia would eagerly sit with Marth during lunch and dinner and excitedly tell her about her day and her increasingly better progress against Ike.

For the first time in a long while, Marth started to feel at peace. She was having fun with Mia, Inigo, and her team. She felt wanted and happy.

And then something disrupted that.

She, Robin, Lyn, and Azura were returning from a mission when Inigo frantically ran up to them. “R-Robin! Please come quickly!” he exclaimed.

“Wait, Inigo, what’s the fire?” Robin asked.

“I-It’s her!" Inigo exclaimed.

Robin’s eyes grew wide, “Where!?”

Inigo started running in the direction of the summoning statue, “Over here, come on!”

The tactician followed, running faster than his teammates had ever seen before.

“She’s finally here huh?” Azura stated.

Marth was in slight disbelief, “No way...” she muttered before chasing after Robin and Inigo. There was a crowd around the summoning circle but Marth managed to push her way through to see the newly summoned hero.

There, talking with An, Alfonse, and Sharena, was Lucina. And from the gold ring Marth saw on her finger, it was Robin’s Lucina.

“Lucina!” Robin exclaimed running to the center of the circle, tears forming in his eyes.

“Oh Robin!” Lucina greeted cheerfully, “You’re here as well? That’s wonderful to hear-” Lucina was interrupted by Robin hugging her tightly, his face buried in her shoulder.

“I missed you so much…” Robin muttered against her. He pulled her into a kiss, causing the crowd to go “aww” and the newcomer to be extremely confused. Nevertheless, she returned his affection.

After a few seconds, Lucina pulled away. “Robin, not that I’d ever complain about one of your kisses, but we just saw each other a few minutes ago before you went to help Chrom with some paperwork.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Inigo. “Ah Inigo! You’re also here?” She took a look at his outfit, “But what are you wearing though?”

Inigo, though tears in his eyes, laughed, “It’s a bit of a story.”

Robin managed to compose himself for a moment to explain the situation with Askr and the Order of Heroes. Lucina, after hearing all of this information, was immediately ready to help. “You have my assistance. An, Alfonse, Sharena, allow me to help wherever I can.”

An nodded and shook her hand, “It’s very much appreciated.”

“So this is the famous Lucina?” Lyn asked as she and Azura approached the pair. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you. Robin’s told us many things.”

Lucina laughed, “Only good things I hope.”

Robin started introducing his teammates, “So these are Azura and Lyn.” He then looked around for their fourth, “And over there is….” He trailed off, then turned to Azura, “I thought Marth was following behind us.”

“The Hero-King is here!?” Lucina exclaimed in delight.

“No-” Robin began, “Well actually yes, but he’s not the one who I was talking about. I mentioned doppelgängers, there’s actually multiple versions of some heroes from different worlds and timelines. And get this, there’s one of you here.”

Lucina’s eyes grew wide, “Really? I’d very much like to meet her.”

“Right,” Robin continued to look around, “But...I can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

From a distance, Marth looked on with a hint of melancholy. “I guess...I’m not needed anymore.”

The order was on a break for the next week, so Marth took every opportunity to stay out of Robin and Inigo’s way to let them have time with their Lucina. On some days, she would see Robin and Lucina strolling through the castle gardens, holding hands. On other days, they were having meals with Lyn and Azura. She would overhear Robin and Lucina regaling more tales of their time together. The look of love on Robin’s face while around his wife was the same face that Marth saw when he was recounting his memories during the campfire talk. Marth was happy for him, but it hurt to know that she was no longer needed to give Robin comfort over missing Lucina.

It was the same for Inigo. Marth was watching a practice of his from the shadows when Lucina arrived. Inigo tried to teach Lucina how to dance before it became clear that Lucina had two left feet and they fell to the ground. The two laughed and shot sibling banter back and forth. Before Inigo could notice Marth’s presence, she was gone.

There was one person that she knew who didn’t have a previous connection with Lucina though. Marth could still find time to spar with Mia. However, her performance was clearly not as strong as before. “Hey, are you okay?” Mia asked after a fairly one-sided duel.

“Y-yes. It seems that you are on top of your game today, Mia.” Marth tried to answer.

“I don’t think that’s it.” Mia took a look at Marth’s face and even with a mask, it looked sad. “You have something you wanna talk about? I mean, I’m not great with the emotional stuff, but I can listen.”

Marth quickly got up, “No, it’s fine.” She put away her training equipment, “Good match, I’ll be leaving now.”

“H-Hey wait!” Mia tried to call out before Marth strode off.

Marth spent the next day skulking alone. Eventually, she felt guilty about leaving Mia hanging and tried to catch her and apologize. “I’ll check the dueling ground. She’s probably there.” She was correct in her assumption, but didn’t realize that there would already be someone there with Mia.

Mia lay on the ground, clearly having just lost a spar. The victor was none other than Lucina. “What do you think Mia, did I meet your expectations?” Lucina asked, holding out a hand.

“Heh, heck you surpassed them.” Mia said with a grin. “I’ve heard good things about you from Robin, but I didn’t think you’d be this good. And I knew you and Marth’s fighting style would be similar, but it was basically a mirror image!”

There it was, the last use Marth had around the castle was gone. Lucina could fill in for her in her duels with Mia and could even show her the fighting style passed down by Chrom much better. All of the use that Marth had, Lucina could do better. Before Mia looked over, the Exalt disappeared.

Marth made her way to An’s office. Though it was meant to be a day of rest for all of the Order’s heroes, An was still hard at work.

The summoner looked up at Marth when she heard her enter, “Oh Marth! There you are. It feels like we haven’t seen you in days.” She then returned to looking over the documents in front of her, “ I assume you’ve been taking some time to rest after that last mission?”

Marth didn’t hesitate with her next words. “I’m leaving the Order. I’m no longer needed here.”

An’s head shot back up, her eyes wide. “L-Leaving!? Why!? What do you mean you aren’t needed?”

“Anything I can do, Lucina can do better.” Marth said bluntly. “The best thing for me to do now is to leave the castle and go back to my original duty of constantly watching for the Tempest.”

“We have more ways to track where the Tempest appears now!” An argued, “You’re still the best at it, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t need to leave! And what’s this about Lucina being better?”

“It’s simple,” Marth explained, “She’ll make a better pair in the field with Robin, seeing as they're married. From what I’ve seen, she’s built up quite a rapport with Azura and Lyn as well, there will be no degradation in team chemistry there. I also don’t need to serve as a stand-in for Lucina for Robin and Inigo anymore. Mia doesn’t need me either, Lucina makes a better sparring partner.” Marth sighed, “I’ll be more useful in the field tracking the Tempest, alone.” She got up to leave, “Don’t worry, I’ll be in contact whenever a new one appears.”

Before she could leave the office though, An got up, ran over and grabbed her arm, “Okay, let’s say what you said is all true, that doesn’t mean you have no purpose here! You still have a place here, on Robin’s team, around the castle, and in our lives!”

“Any purpose I have, Lucina clearly fills better. No one would miss me.”

“I'll miss you!” An shouted. She grew red in the face for a moment before calming down and slowly letting go of Marth’s arm, “Don’t say stuff like that without knowing other people’s feelings. And it’s not just me. Robin, Inigo, Mia, Azura, Lyn...you’re more to them than just a stand-in for Lucina…” An averted her gaze for a moment, “You’re…special, Marth...especially to me.”

Marth was a little surprised at An’s mini-outburst, but it was not enough to sway her. “I’ll leave in the morning.” she said quietly before finally exiting the office. That night, she went to one of the towers around the castle. It was her go-to whenever she needed a quiet place to think. She gazed up at the sky. Starry, much like the night Robin opened up to her. It wasn’t that long ago, but it felt like an eternity. She thought about An’s words to her, about how everyone would miss her. “Am I...just being ridiculous?”

“I guess we have a tendency to be so.” came her own voice. Marth quickly turned around and saw Lucina by the doorway, a smile on her face. “Hey there.”

“How’d you find me?” Marth asked.

Lucina pointed a little behind Marth, “A little bird told me.” Marth turned around and saw Feh perched up on a windowsill nearby. “Robin asked me to try and find you. I’ve actually been wanting to meet you myself. You mind if we talk for a bit?”

“...Very well,” Marth answered.

Lucina sat down next to Marth and took a look at her mask. “I’m sorry, would you mind taking off your mask for a moment? I’d like to see something.”

Marth coughed awkwardly, “I-I can’t. My mask protects my identity and it’s extremely important that I protect-” She stopped mid-sentence as Lucina had a look of “Really?” on her face. Marth realized that she didn’t have a reason to hide her face in front of her doppelgänger and so removed her mask.

Lucina gazed at the girl before her. Her face was the exact same as her own. She even had the Brand of the Exalt in the same place, the left eye. “Amazing. You really are my double.” Lucina muttered. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lucina.”

“Umm...it’s...Marth.” her counterpart said quickly while putting her mask back on.

There was a giggle from Lucina, “Very well, it’s good to meet you, Marth.” She looked up at the sky, “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it? Much more peaceful than the world we came from.”

“Indeed.” Marth replied, “...Tell me, was your world...just as bad as mine?” she asked nervously.

A brief moment of silence, “Yes.” Lucina’s eyes gazed down, “All the despair and pain you felt, I also experienced.” Lucina looked at the double, “I must admit, it’s nice to know there’s somewhere else here that could understand what I went through…the loss of our parents, the weight of being the anchor for not just our friends, but all the people left.”

“Yeah…I agree.” Marth looked down. She suddenly remembered something important, “O-Oh right, Robin mentioned that you guys were the ones who arrived to help us.” Marth exclaimed, “Thank you, I’m forever in your debt.”

Lucina waved her off, “It’s fine, consider us even for being there for Robin and Inigo when I couldn’t.”

Marth shook her head, “Oh, I didn’t do anything.”

“You’d be surprised.” Lucina laughed, “Everytime you fought hard, when you tried to help them, even when you just listened, it kept them going strong. Heck, I saw your strength for myself when I traveled to your time.” She placed a hand on Marth’s shoulder, “Don’t sell yourself short, Marth. You’re an integral part of the Order, and it’d be sad to see you leave.”

The Exalt was stunned for a moment, “But...you’re here now, there’s no place for me anymore. Everything I can do, you can do better.”

Suddenly, Lucina stood up and extended her hand towards Marth. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Come on.”

The masked warrior was confused, but took Lucina’s hand. She then stumbled and held on as she tried to keep up with Lucina, who seemed intent on rushing to wherever they were running. “Where are we going?” she asked.

Lucina looked back with a smile on her face, “The celebration party of course!”

“Celebration party? Celebration for what?” Marth asked. The two then arrived at the mess hall. The doors opened, and Marth could see clearly the cause for celebration.

“I finally beat Boss!” Mia cheered. She was being lifted into the air by Lyn and Kagero as a crowd of people cheered around her. “I finally did it! I won!” It was the happiest Mia’s ever looked. The crowd was chanting Mia’s name while Nino somehow got confetti and was throwing it everywhere.

In the corner, Robin, Ike, Marth, and Ephraim were sitting and watching the celebrations unfold. “Doesn’t this seem like overkill?” Robin asked.

“Let her have her fun.” Marth laughed, “Ike has been nigh-unbeatable since he got here. I’d say beating him is a worthy cause for celebration.”

“He’s just unbeatable because I haven’t sparred with him yet,” Ephraim said with confidence. “What do you say, Ike? Are you up for a match tomorrow?”

“Fine by me, though I assume I’ll have a lot more challengers thanks to this.” Ike said. He gazed on at Mia as she revelled in her long awaited victory. “Though seeing Mia like this makes me happy.”

“She worked hard for this too,” Robin noted, “She’s been hanging around you almost all the time.”

Ephraim thought a moment, ”Maybe she’ll finally stop. I imagine Mia’s been hanging around you to watch your every move and constantly analyze you for any weaknesses. Now that she beat you, she must’ve gotten all of the information she needed. Am I right?”

“Well, no.” Ike corrected, “She’s just always around me because we’re dating.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Marth mused. It took him, Ephraim, and Robin another few seconds to properly process what Ike had just said. Once they did though, the revelation hit them like an Arcfire. “Wait you’re dating?” Marth asked incredulously.

Ephraim joined in the questioning, “Since when!?”

The Radiant Hero seemed genuinely confused, “Since before we got here? I don’t know how none of you noticed before.”

As Marth and Ephraim continued to question Ike, Robin caught notice of Lucina and “Marth” trying to make their way to Mia and gave them a wave. Lucina grinned back at him, while “Marth” nervously waved back. Lucina then pushed Marth past the crowd and towards Mia, who was being let down. “M-Mia. Congratul-” Marth began to say before she was interrupted.

“Marth I did it!” Mia exclaimed while giving Marth an excited hug, “I beat Boss! And it was all thanks to you!”

Marth was taken aback, “Wait because of me? How!?”

Mia pulled back from the hug, “That stance you taught me! It worked! I caught Ike off guard and bam! Disarmed him in one go! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

“W-Well, no.” Marth started, “Lucina knows the stance too, I’m sure she could’ve done a better job.”

“She helped a little,” Mia admitted, “But you were the only one who could've taught me it.”

“It’s true,” Lucina said, appearing beside them. “I haven’t had much experience in actually teaching.” She looked directly at Marth, “But you have. You were Inigo’s teacher in your time, correct?” She smiled, “He’s not as interested in swordsmanship in my time.”

“R-Really? I mean I still don’t think-” Marth began to say before Mia interrupted her.

The mercenary gazed into Marth’s eyes. “Marth! This is a great victory, but I’ve still got a long way to go. Will you keep helping me?” She asked.

Marth stared back before nodding, “Of course!” she said with a slightly tearful smile.

The celebrations continued. At different points, Marth was approached by Robin, Inigo, Lyn, and Azura.

“Hey Marth, we have a mission next week. Hope you’re ready.” Robin noted.

Inigo seemed positively excited, “Marth! I’ve got another performance in a few weeks. You’ll be attending, right?”

“This is getting me fired up.” Lyn exclaimed, “I’ve been using the bow so much I might be rusty with my swordplay. Marth, you wouldn’t mind a spar right?”

“Marth, would you mind going into town with me this weekend?” Azura asked with a smile. “I want to pick out something for Lyn, and I’d like your help”

Eventually, Marth grew tired and slipped away to a small corner, watching her teammates and fellow members of the order continue celebrating. She was eventually joined by An, “Hey,” the summoner greeted, “The party is still going, huh?”

“Yes, everyone seems very spirited tonight.” Marth replied.

“I can tell. It’s such a silly thing...but sometimes it’s these moments that can spark the most happiness.” An mused before turning to Marth. ‘What about you, Marth? Are you happy here?”

Marth smiled, “Yes. Extremely happy. Like...I never want to leave this moment.”

“Good,” An replied, slightly leaning on Marth, “Because I never want you to leave either.”

* * *

A week later, Robin woke up in his room in Askr as the sun shone through the window. Like everyday before, he turned to his bedside to see if his wife would be there beside him.

She was.

The tactician kissed her cheek, “Lucina, I’m getting an early start.” He began to get up before Lucina’s hand tugged at this shirt.

“Stay.” she quietly whispered.

Robin smiled, “Guess I can’t ignore a command from you.” He laid back down in bed, happily snuggling with the love of his life.

An hour later, he and Lucina were rushing out of the bedroom. “I’m sorry!” Lucina exclaimed, “I didn’t know you had an early mission this morning!”

“Gah!” Robin grunted while nearly tripping, “It’s not your fault don’t worry! I really should’ve gotten out of bed the first time!”

“I figured you’d be late,” came a voice similar to Lucina’s. Marth appeared around the corner. "I got you both breakfast.” she said while holding some bread and water. “Eat up.”

Robin and Lucina quickly scarfed down the bread, “You’re a lifesaver, Marth!” Lucina exclaimed. She kissed Robin on the cheek and waved goodbye to her double, “I have to go to training! Be safe on the mission you two!”

“Will do!” Robin called out as his wife made her way to the training ground. “Alright, let’s go!” the tactician said as he and Marth ran towards An’s office.

Marth saw a number of people on the way there. Inigo was doing open dance practices, Mia and Ike were eating together, and Robin’s old team were going over a map. And in all cases, when they saw Marth, they gave her a warm smile and a wave, which Marth returned.

The two finally made it An’s office, where Azura and Lyn were already waiting. “There you are!” Lyn exclaimed. “What took you so long?”

Azura giggled, “Well, my guess is that Robin and Lucina were having a very comfortable time in bed. I bet Marth had to pick you up breakfast too.”

“Indeed I did,” Marth replied.

“Can we just get the meeting started?” Robin groaned.

An then started to explain their next mission. “You’ll be investigating another possible location of the Tempest. Marth, I’m counting on you to guide them.”

“Understood!” Marth said with confidence, “Leave it to me.”

A while later, the four were standing outside the castle gates. “Another day, another mission, huh?” Lyn noted.

“I’m sad the break’s over, it’s been fun.” Azura replied.

Robin looked forward with determination, “Well, we just need to work hard so we can get another one. Are we all ready to go?”

There was a resounding confirmation and they set off. As she went forth on her next mission, Marth looked behind her. The castle she saw was full of her now close friends, including her doppelgänger. She still wanted nothing more than to stop the Tempest and return to her own time and her own people. But until then, she was happy to be with the Order of Heroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came a little late since I got caught up with playing the Project Triangle Strategy demo. Happy I finally got it done though. Ended putting more than I originally planned in the last chapter but oh well.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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